Phenology and Growth dynamics of Avicennia marina in the Central Red Sea.

Hanan Almahasheer,Carlos M Duarte,Xabier Irigoien

doi:10.1038/srep37785

Hanan Almahasheer, Carlos M Duarte + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1038/srep37785

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Abstract

The formation of nodes, stem elongation and the phenology of stunted Avicennia marina was examined in the Central Red Sea, where Avicennia marina is at the limit of its distribution range and submitted to extremely arid conditions with salinity above 38 psu and water temperature as high as 35° C. The annual node production was rather uniform among locations averaging 9.59 node y−1, which resulted in a plastocron interval, the interval in between production of two consecutive nodes along a stem, of 38 days. However, the internodal length varied significantly between locations, resulting in growth differences possibly reflecting the environmental conditions of locations. The reproductive cycle lasted for approximately 12 months, and was characterized by peak flowering and propagule development in November and January. These phenological observations provide a starting point for research and restoration programs on the ecology of mangroves in the Central Red Sea, while the plastochrone index reported here would allow calculations of the growth and production of the species from simple morphological measurements.

Highlights

The formation of nodes, stem elongation and the phenology of stunted Avicennia marina was examined in the Central Red Sea, where Avicennia marina is at the limit of its distribution range and submitted to extremely arid conditions with salinity above 38 psu and water temperature as high as 35° C
The stem elongation of Avicennia marina seedlings provides a record of internodal length that allows the reconstruction of its growth patterns and calculation of the plastochrone interval, a key property to convert biological into chronological time[26], consistent with findings for other mangrove species[25]
The annual node production estimated from the analysis was 9.59 nodes y−1, corresponding to an average plastochrone interval of 38 days

Summary

Introduction

The formation of nodes, stem elongation and the phenology of stunted Avicennia marina was examined in the Central Red Sea, where Avicennia marina is at the limit of its distribution range and submitted to extremely arid conditions with salinity above 38 psu and water temperature as high as 35° C. The reproductive cycle lasted for approximately 12 months, and was characterized by peak flowering and propagule development in November and January These phenological observations provide a starting point for research and restoration programs on the ecology of mangroves in the Central Red Sea, while the plastochrone index reported here would allow calculations of the growth and production of the species from simple morphological measurements. Avicennia marina is the dominant mangrove species in the Red Sea[9], where its growth is limited due to lack of rivers and freshwater input, low nutrient supply, high salinity, and hot summer air temperature[10]. The harsh conditions in the Red Sea, in summer, may affect the phenology and growth of Avicennia marina, which may deviate from those reported elsewhere

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